Not So Perfect
by BookLover904
Summary: Amelia Greyhart, is what i call myself. I'm differant, I was made, not born.  I was suppost to be the perfect soldier, and I was, except for one thing... So they locked me up. Who's they? The creators of course.
1. Chapter 1

**-Prologue-**

_Amelia Greyhart. That's what I call myself. It's simple and beautiful, the opposite of me. I may be beautiful, but I was anything but simple. My DNA was warped. Unnatural. _

_Wrong._

_ I hadn't wished for this, so why punish me? No, they weren't punishing me. They simply didn't know what to do with me. When I was made, I was perfect. Or so they thought. What they had aimed for was the perfect warrior. _

_ They got me._

_ When I was still a little child they ran me through all the tests. All of which I passed with flying colors. I could run for hours without tiring, I could lift up to 150 pounds with one arm, I could hear, smell, and see from many miles away. In the dark I could see 20/20, every detail. They taught me how to fight and how to defend myself. I could go weeks without food or water and could withstand hours of torture on end. My brain didn't need sleep, even though it got uncomfortable at times. __I was perfect_.

_ So why am I here? Locked away in a cell?_

_ Well you see, the perfect warrior didn't have emotions, couldn't _feel.

_ But I do._


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, It's A LOT easier to read if you make sure to change the settings so it's not as stretched out, and if you make the words bigger ^^^^. REVIEW! **

**-Chapter One-**

It's been twelve years since they locked me up. It's been seventeen years since they made me. Yet, I'm still here, sitting on the cold, merciless floor. I didn't mind of course. They had put me through many different kinds of torture. The floor was nothing. Trust me.

My Cell was pitch-black and filthy. I say '_My Cell' because_ it is mine and mine alone. In the past twelve years I'd been here, I'd never had a roommate. Maybe it was because they didn't bother, or maybe it was because they were just that cruel. Looking around I took in the details for the millionth time that I have been here.

A large metal door sat across the room from me. On the bottom was a slot just large enough to squeeze a tray of food through. And about six feet away from the door- that never opened- was a bunk bed. Now don't get to excited, it was old. Like, springs-stabbing-your-back and creaking-ominously old. Honestly, when I first came here I thought it was one of the torture devices the Creator's had used on me.

Straight across from heavy, metallic door was the archway that leads to the showers'. It runs for exactly 60 seconds, and has very little soap to offer. But what do you expect? It's a prison for god's sake. No mirror. No sink. I didn't even know what I looked like. Well, I knew I had glossy black hair that fell past my shoulder blades. My bodice was fairly average but my height reached up to 5' 7". That's what the Creators said as they measured me. Not to me, to each other. Never to me. I was nothing, a project, an abomination.

They treated me like I was a robot. Till I spoke for the first time, surprising them all.

It hurts, do I have to? Is what I asked. So they put me in here, a sound-proof, windowless room. Because I wasn't suppose to speak or feel unless I was told to.

I scared them.

Looking back, I wished that I hadn't spoken at all. Then maybe I wouldn't be in this rotting cell. Wait… when I thought about it, if I had stayed, I'd of been biting my tongue 24/7 to keep from talking out of line. They didn't treat me as a human, and why should they? I wasn't one, only particularly. I looked downward, at my right ankle.

A thick heavy metal chain ran from the wall opposite of the door and ended at my ankle. It attached to a ringlet that had been personally made for my ankle. The cold, dead weight had become normal to me after it being there for so long.

It was just long enough for me to reach the bed, shower, and food slots, but stopped about five feet from the giant door. I didn't think the chain was very necessary though, my Creators had made the door extra strong to contain me, same as the chain. But I was sure that if I tried hard enough, I could break the chain in half. For some reason, I hadn't bothered. Where would I go? What would I do?

Suddenly, I could just barely hear the deep bell ringing. It meant that it was time for the prisoners "recess" outside. Then I could hear their doors opening, while mine stayed shut. Always shut, never to be opened, in case I got loose. Just because I could see in the darkness didn't mean I didn't need the light. Not even a small slimmer came through the crack from the bottom of the door. _If only I could see the sun… just once…_

The door swung open out of nowhere, trapping me in the opposite corner.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: I hope you like it so far! Please, I beg of you, review!**

**-Chapter Two-**

Two figures stepped into the cell, one slightly taller than the other. The one that came in first was wearing a police guard uniform. He placed one hand on his gun when he saw me, obviously ready to fire if I so much as sneezed. My attention was elsewhere though. When the door opened light had leaked into the room, bright and peaceful. I stole a few more glorious glances toward the light and looked back at the guard.

He tensed, keeping his beady eyes on me while he talked to the guy behind him. "Here kid, this will be your cell for the time being. Sorry we ran out of room on the main floors. It'll only be temporary. I'm guessing Carrie ran you through the basics while you were waiting?"

He nodded.

"Good and you have a roommate. Be couscous. _Things _aren't always what they seem."

Now it was my turn to tense as I ground my teeth silently. The boy looked over in my direction, but he couldn't really see me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. But I knew he could just make out my form by the way he squinted.

"Why is it so dark?" He asked the guard.

"They don't work, but we'll have them fixed by next week." He patted the boy's back, "Don't worry, you'll have a new cell in about a year or so." And with that, he left and closed the door, covering me once again with darkness.

The boy felt his way along the wall to the bunk beds and sat down heavily. I focused my eyesight, to see what he looked like, and was surprised. Bright, shaggy hair fell slightly past his eyebrows. He swept it back and I got a glimpse of his eyes, blue mixed with light shades of grey. Everything about him shined, like the light I craved to see every day.

"Hello?" He called to the darkness.

I didn't move, speak, or even breathe.

"My name's Mark. Mark Tally."

Silence answered him.

"What's your name? Where _are_ you?" Mark tried to see me through the gloom with no luck. I was just too good at blending in. And I'm sure my torn tank top and grey sweatpants didn't help him out any either.

"Okayy, then I'll talk. I got stuck in here after one of my friends dared me to rob a convenience store. We were all really drunk; I think I've still got some of Tommy's barf on my sneakers. Well, I would if the guards hadn't taken them along with my socks. Why do they do that? Do they think someone could strangle themselves with a sock? Try to eat it and choke?"

As often, as they feed us- which is rare- that seemed like a liable possibility.

"Anyway, back to the point, I have two sisters. My parents got divorced when I was eight and I haven't seen my dad since. Not that I've wanted to…" He sighed, deep and endless.

"I'm not going to get anything out of you am I?"

Then he seemed to deflate, and sink into the bed. Just as quickly he shot up, "OUCH! What the hell?" Mark rubbed his side were a spring had poked him.

A chuckle escaped my lips, and we both froze.

It's been so long since I heard my own voice that I startled myself. I jumped and my chain rattled almost as loudly as my pounding heart. Instinctively I reached down to silence it. It's been so long since I've heard so many sounds at once.

Mark smiled, "Was that you?" His smile faded and was replaced by confusion, "What was that rattling?"

Nothing.

"Oh, come on… Just talk to me." A saw a flash of white again as he smiled. "I don't bite."

_But I might_, I thought bitterly, _they chained me up and everything._

"_Please_." He sounded so desperate, so…_lonely._

_ Just like I was._

"Tell me more about your sisters," I said so quietly I didn't think he heard me.

Mark smiled, and my gut unclenched for the first time in forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**-Chapter Three-**

A few days passed and we talked for hours, well, _he_ talked. I only threw in a question here and there to keep him talking. The sound of his deep voice kept me calm as I sat against the wall. My fingers clutched the anklet that chained me to the wall. What would Mark think when he saw it? For sure he would ask questions. Honestly, I couldn't blame him. Here he is, telling about his entire life from when he broke his right arm in 3rd grade to his parents getting divorced a few years back.

And I wouldn't even tell him my name. Probably was, I didn't really have one. Not counting the one I had made up for myself; Amelia Greyhart. As far as he could tell, he was talking to a voice coming from the corner of the room.

He kept inching closer to where I sat, trying to see me through the gloom. In response I moved back and away, making my chains clang against the floor. I should have been more careful though because the third time this happened I felt a sharp tug.

THUMP.

Mark had tripped over my trail of metal.

"What the-," he said angrily as he tugged at the chain. When it wouldn't budge he pulled harder, and I fell flat on my butt.

"Ow!" I cried when I hit the hard concrete.

"Hey are you okay? I found something… I think it's a chain of some kind."

I froze, not knowing what to say. Maybe if I stayed very, very still he'd forget about it and just think it was their randomly. Then he started to pull it closer, dragging me with it.

"Stop… Mark, _please don't._"

**-Mark's POV-**

When the girl first spoke I was glad, but I wanted to know _her_. She refused to give me any answers. What was her name? Why was she here? Why did she sound so… sad? Her voice seemed to vibrate through the air, like she didn't expect anyone to answer. She had wanted to know all about me with open ears and genuine curiosity. But would clamp up and move away when I moved to get a better look at her. Avoiding all the questions I asked her with silence. So that when I couldn't stand it anymore, I changed it back to me. Just so I could hear her small voice coming from the opposite wall.

I pulled the chain with a bit of effort and something fell. The girl cried out, but I was too perplexed by the mysterious hunk of metal. It was heavy. Maybe this is what I have been hearing…

"Stop… Mark, _please don't."_ I froze. She sounded terrified.

"Tell me your name…" I put the chain back down on the floor.

There was that same familiar silence. Then she spoke, "Amelia. You can call me Amelia."

**-Amelia's POV-**

"Amelia…" he whispered almost to himself, testing the sound of it. Then he repeated it, louder this time, "Amelia."

"Y-Yeah?"

Mark got up and worked his way to where I lay in a ball on the floor. When he reached out this time I didn't move away, his fingertips grazed my cheek. "Found you…," he murmured to himself. I gazed up at him, not daring to move, he looked… relieved?

Slowly, he sat next to me, about a foot away. Mark was the first person to ever truly touch me kindly. In the past… well you get the point; Needle's, Torture, Test's. None of them were pleasant. So when his fingers brushed my cheek so gently, tears filled my eyes. But I blinked them away before Mark could notice or hear me.

"Can I ask you some questions now, Amelia?"

I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold cell. "Some"

"You know I'm nineteen, but I don't know how old you are."

Sounded like a safe enough question… "I'm seventeen."

"That's pretty young. Why are you here?"

Red alert, my stomach dropped. "I-I'm sorry, I can't answer that right now. But maybe someday."

He nodded, disappointment making him slouch slightly. "Then, can you tell me how _long_ you've been stuck in this horrible place?"

"Since I was five." My head dropped down to lie on my knee's as I watched his reaction.

Mark laughed, "Right, like I'd believe that. They don't put harmless five year old girls in prison." I didn't laugh and continued to stare at him. His laughter died down instantly when he noticed my silence. "Wait. You're serious? You've been here for _twelve freaking years?_"

I nodded.

"_Why?_ Amelia, help me understand."

"Because I'm not suppose to even exist."

His eyebrow's shot up, "How is that possible? Of course you exist. I can touch you-," he brushed his hand briefly over my arm, "and can talk to you."

"Yes, I do exist. But I'm not _supposed _to."

"I'm not following. How can your family just let you rot-,"

"That's the thing; _I don't have one._ I am not biologically related to anyone on this earth. And I never have been," I cut in.

"But that's impossible!" He threw out helplessly.

"It is," I said quietly, he turned to me. "I have never seen the sun. Or moon. No one has ever touched me like you did earlier. Your touch was so relaxing, so comforting. Someday, I promise, you'll understand. Just not today. Okay?"

He nodded grimly, "Fine."

**NOTE: Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**-Chapter Four-**

A few days passed and we barely spoke to one another. Mark was still angry that I wouldn't tell him anything. I could tell by the way he refused to talk to me. But I could also tell he didn't want to make me uncomfortable. The truth was, I wasn't uncomfortable, I was terrified. Terrified that when he found out I wasn't human, he'd pull away from me.

And I didn't want that. Not now that I've finally got a friend, someone to talk to, someone that seemed to care.

"Mark, please talk to me," I begged quietly. My voice sounded like silk slipping from between my lips. He sighed and rolled over on the bed to face my corner, wincing a little.

"That's not fair; you don't get to make _me_ feel guilty." Mark whined as he came to sit next to me. It took him some effort, but he plopped next to me a few seconds later.

I took a deep breath and carefully, very carefully, laid my head on his shoulder. He tensed at first then gently wrapped an arm around my shoulders. A tear slid down my cheek and onto the floor silently. "I don't want you to be afraid of me…"

"Then I won't, what is there to be afraid of?" Mark smiled mischievously, "Are you a vampire or something?"

He had told me his younger sister loved reading about vampires, made-up creatures that hate sunlight and drink live blood with their fangs. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm playfully.

"How could I be afraid of you Amelia?" He said, laughing. "You didn't even know what vampires were until I told you."

What should I say? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't take "science experiment" or "born in a pod" very well. Is there an easier way? Nope, surely not.

"I-I don't know how to start…"

"Start by telling me why you've been in here for twelve years. I mean, when are you going to be released?"

My mouth dropped open but no sound came out. Then I realized what I had never wanted to admit. They were never planning to let me out. Tears streamed down my face freely now, and I was glad he couldn't see me in the dark. "Never," I whispered. "I'll never be released Mark."

"That's insane!" He ran his finger through his hair in frustration and turned to me, "_Why_? Just _what _could you of done at such a young age to deserve this?"

"I was an experiment, and I had a glitch. So they put me in here." My lips moved so quickly I wasn't sure I had said anything at all. There, I said it.

Marks thick eyebrows drew together, "What do you mean by experiment?"

Like pulling off a band-aid, I decided to get it all over with. "Twenty years ago, a group of scientist all got together. They called themselves 'The Creators'. Their goal was to create the perfect warrior, or soldier in your case. It took them a year to make the pod that would contain me for nine months. Then another year for them to create my DNA the way they wanted me- unnaturally strong, fast, heighten senses, and so on."

He sat there gaping at me, his mouth open in an O shape. So I quickly continued.

"When I was taken out of the pod I was just a baby. So they raised and trained me. Everyone was so proud of themselves. Proud that there little creation- me- had been a success."

"Had?" Mark seemed to croak from next to me. At least he wasn't screaming for help.

"Yeah," I continued. "When I was three they started testing me. They wanted to know what I could do, what my limits were. I passed every test and did everything correctly. Until I turned five…" My voice shook involuntarily while I looked at the moldy wall.

"What happened?"

"They found a glitch. The warrior they were going for was strong, fearless, and could withstand torture for hours on end. I passed those test as well, but when they put me back in the torture chamber...I begged and begged them to let me out."

Mark wore a pained expression now, he still didn't know I could see him in the dark cell. "I don't get it…. What's the glitch?"

"The glitch is that I can feel, mentally and physically," I said bitterly. "So when they realized this they didn't know what to do with me. About a week later, there I was, in this cell. I hadn't talked to anyone in twelve years, till you came along."

Looking back, I knew I never _ever_ wanted to be alone again. Even now with Mark next to me I could feel the empty void in my heart. It's been eating at me since I was "born" and sent here. I jumped when Mark spoke.

"Why haven't you broken out?"

"Hm?"

"You know, escape. You must be able to, so why are you still here?" He asked.

My fingers played with the metal cuff at my ankle. With a twist I could break it off, I knew this, yet I did nothing. Two kicks, and the door would be unhinged, yet I did nothing. I could take down a grown man twice my size without breaking a sweat, yet I did _nothing._

Mark moved to sit on the bed again, and then carefully laid down. He rubbed his temples like he had a headache and I couldn't blame him. I had just dumped a butt-load of "top secret" information on him. Then it came to me, the reason I haven't run all these years.

"I stayed here, because I have nowhere to go." I declared from across the cell. "There will probably never be a place for me, I'm not human. Not like you Mark. You have a family, a home." He was sitting up now, straining to hear as my voice got quieter. "I'm unnatural. _Wrong._"

Suddenly he shot up from the bed, "No. No you're not. Just because your DNA is different doesn't mean you're any less human than me. You're just…different."

Smiling to myself, I got up and walked over to him, my chain rattling loudly. When I stood in front of him I noticed he was a couple inches taller than me. His eyebrows drew together once again as he looked around, trying to figure out where the rattling had come from. I pushed up onto my toes slightly. Just enough so that my lips could brush his ear, "Thank you."

He jumped back, startled. Blood rushed up his cheeks.

Satisfied, I rattled back over to my corner, sat down, and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

**NOTE: In my opinion, I think I'm doing ok at this story stuff. Hope you're enjoying the story! Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**-Chapter Five-**

I tried to pry my eyes open, something bright was shining through my eyelids. _Bright? _My eyes cracked open to see a dimly lit light shining overhead. A week must have passed, since the light was never actually broken. Loud snores bounced off of the cell walls and I looked over at Mark.

He was _defiantly_ a heavy sleeper.

With sneaky intentions in mind, I crept over to where Mark slept on the bed. His arm was slung casually over his glorious blue eyes and his mouth was hanging open. Both of his sock-less feet peeked over the edge of the small bed. And I got the sudden desire to poke at them.

Going to the end of the bed, I crouched down and ran a finger lightly over the arch of Mark's foot. No reaction, only a slight twitch. Maybe if I…

**-Mark's POV-**

I was in the middle of having a good dream; my mom was baking a pan of her famous brownies when I sat down at the counter. On my left sat Kate, my older sister, and on my right sat Melisa, my younger sister. Mom had finally made it to the counter with the plate full of steaming brownies when I felt something at the end of my consciousness.

Someone was tickling my left foot. Was it Melissa again? She had a nasty habit of waking me up at the crack of dawn. I rolled over trying to knock her away without kicking her.

**-Amelia's POV-**

_Whoa_, I thought as I leaned away from his swaying foot. Now what? He _still_ wasn't awake and I was getting bored. So in one swift motion I reached forward and grabbed his pinky toe, twisted slightly, and watched him jerk his foot away.

**-Mark's POV-**

When I opened my eyes I was no longer at home, I was back in prison. _Dang it, I didn't even get to eat a brownie. _Wait, if I was back in the cell, then who…

I looked down. And about four inches from my face was a girl with deep violet eyes. I cried out and fell to the floor, my back smacking against the concrete painfully. The girl leaned over my bed to look at me, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

Midnight colored hair fell past her shoulder blades and framed her round, pixie-like face. As she kept her gaze steady, I couldn't help but stare at her unnatural eye color. Her eyes had this luminous glow that slurred in with the dark color of violet. They were beautiful.

"Mark," she said in an all-too-familiar voice. "What's wrong?"

"_Amelia?" _I could hear the surprise in my voice and winced.

She nodded. _Amelia _nodded.

I could finally see her!

But when I took a closer look I could see the red that rimmed her eyes and nose. "Have you been crying?" Instinctively my hand reached out to touch her cheek, but when her eyes darken, I let my hand drop.

**-Amelia's POV-**

In the distance, I could hear the guard coming. Ignoring Mark's disappointed face, I turned on my heel and as quietly as I could, and went to the corner. Just as my butt hit the ground the door flew open. Revealing the only guard I have ever seen since Mark became my roommate.

He strut into the room as the door closed behind him. Mark stood to greet him, "Hey, I see you got the lights working."

The guard nodded, "It took a lot of work, but we figured it out."

_Lair, it wasn't even broken._ I smiled.

"What are you smiling about," snapped the guard in a disgusted tone. Without even asking or being told I knew that _he _knew what I was, I tensed. Not all reactions were as calm and understanding as Mark's had been. I knew that all too well.

That was why I turned away, away from him. Mark looked at me in confusion when I curled into the fetal position and leaned my head against the wall. Guard man smirked in satisfaction, turning back to Mark, he chuckled darkly. "Well would you look at that, even the most pitiful creatures know when to back down."

_Pitiful?_ Hardly.

Suddenly, I was behind him, but he was still facing Mark. Whose eyes went wide in surprise when he saw me standing there. But I wasn't watching him, I was too busy waiting for the guard to turn and see just _who_ the pitiful one was.

When he turned to see what Mark was gawking at, he saw me. Standing just a foot away, I knew what he would do. And I would let him. I would simply stand there, not even touching him, when he screamed and reached into his pocket. Even bracing myself, the shock of electricity still brought me to my knees on the hard floor.

"Amelia!"

My arms and legs shook when I stood and faced the guard. As I had thought, they still didn't mind shocking me full of electrical currents. It was a gift from the Creator's. They wanted to make sure that I could be contained and gave the prison a chain that hooked my ankle to the wall. What I had also found out a few days later, was that with a push of a button, it electrocuted me.

_Fun right?_

The guard was breathing heavier than me, and I was one getting fried. Barley, over the ringing from my ears, I heard Mark screaming my name. Then he demanded that the guard stop, and then back to screaming my name again.

My voice was a rasp, "Mark, it's okay."

"No, it's not!" He turned to the guard, "Stop. Whatever you're doing to her, stop it. NOW." The urgency and anger in his voice almost made _me_ flinch.

Then it stopped.

Mark's arm wrapped around my waist before I could face-plant onto the floor. I leaned on him gratefully. "He's gone," he murmured as he sat me down on the bed. The mattress creaked when he sat next to me, rubbing the goose bumps off of my arms. "He's gone."

A little worried now, I grabbed his wrist, "Thank you."

He nodded and looked around, his lips pressed into a thin line. This was the first time he's seen the room since the lights were "broken" when he first got here. Mark's eyes trailed to the door, the shower, and then rested on something I had completely forgotten about.

My chain.

Well, where _my chain_ was attached to the wall. His body went rigid, and I tensed as I followed the trail of metal to my ankle. Before he could ask, I lifted my foot onto the bed and held the chain up for him to see.

"Yeaaah, I may have forgotten to mention-."

I was cut off when he lifted my foot. Mark's other hand pushed up the hem of my sweat pants to get a better look at the cuff that clasped my ankle. Air flared out of his nose and he dropped my foot onto the bed. He ran a hand through his blond hair, giving it a ruffled look.

"I'm getting you out of here."

It sounded like a promise.


	7. Chapter 7

**-Chapter Six-**

"How will you?" My voice shook. With hope or terror? I did not know myself.

Mark faltered, "I'm not sure yet, but I will. They can't keep you here like this."

His eye's traveled to the chain again, frustration flashing across his feature's. With his eyebrows drawn together and week-old stubble he looked very vulnerable. Before I knew what I was doing, I reached up and placed a finger on the wrinkle between his brows.

"You get a wrinkle here…when you make that face. When you're angry, or frustrated that is…"

Mark grabbed my hand- gently- and entwined our fingers.

-Mark's POV-

I didn't know what to do. She must have been so scared, so _alone. _Sitting in a cell for twelve years with no one to talk to and nothing to do but wait for the next meal. That is, if she even ate it anyway. From the time that I've been here I have never really seen- or heard- her eat. But she must of because I remember pushing _two_ empty trays toward the door when we were finished.

My gaze trailed back to her ankle, where it was connected to the wall by a thick metal chain. Seeing her like this pained me. For the past week- maybe longer- Amelia has done nothing but get to know me. She wanted to know anything and everything about me. Most girls couldn't care less. But then again she isn't like 'most girls'-

Then her finger was carefully touching my forehead.

Amelia's voice was softer than velvet as she spoke, "You get a wrinkle here…when you make that face. When you're angry, or frustrated that is…"

Her dark eye's seemed to churn. They were a purple color, no, they were darker than that. A deep violet. So deep I feared I may drown in them.

I didn't know what to do, but I felt the need to do something.

_Anything._

So I grabbed her hand.

-Amelia's POV-

Mark continued to look at me, as if memorizing my every feature. I didn't mind. It was almost as comforting as his thumb running circles on the back of my hand. My eyelids began to close as if I had little weights on them, pulling them down. Distantly, I felt myself lie across the small bed, placing my head on Mark's lap.

He tensed, his thumb hesitating on the back of my hand. "Amelia?"

"Hm?" I could feel Mark's steady breathing above me, pushing me deeper into a soundless sleep.

"N-Nothing…" He mumbled, sounding shaken.

Then I fell asleep.

-Three Weeks Later-

Mark handed me my clothes from around the corner. The shower was barely covered by a wall and Mark always sat with his back facing it when it was my turn. We hadn't had this little problem when the lights were 'broken'. At first I didn't see anything wrong with showering in front of him. But the way he turned red when I had begun to undress told me he thought otherwise. So he would turn around and I'd hand him my clothes so that they wouldn't get dirty on the floor. Well, _dirtier._

"Have you always had the same outfit Amelia?" Mark asked me from the bed.

"No, I've had a couple. They gave me that one when it became obvious my other outfit was too small." I thought about it for a moment. "That and it was torn very badly."

I came around the corner fully dressed and sat next to Mark. The cell was colder than it had been in a while, I rubbed my arms.

"Must be fall already," he mumbled as he covered my shoulders with the only blanket we had. It was really more of a sheet but I pulled it tighter anyway and gave Mark a small smile.

Bright hair fell into his eyes so he flicked it away with a small toss of his head. His arm muscles flexed when he leaned back against the bed. I would have admired them more if I wasn't distracted by something else. I jumped up.

"What?" He said, alarmed.

"Do you smell that?"

"No? Smell what?" Mark said as he got up to stand next to me.

Walking to the door as far as my chain allowed me, I sniffed the air. Then some more, not thinking about how it must have looked to Mark. My face upturned toward the ceiling as I smelled something from far away.

_Smoke from a fire._

There was a buzz and clang as doors opened, letting prisoners out. Ours stayed shut of course. The Creature's would have wanted it this way. Probably told them to just leave me in here to burn, and I wouldn't of minded.

But now Mark was in the cell with me.

_No no no no. _

I starred at the door, willing it to open. Only then did I turn to Mark, who looked as confused as ever. "There's a fire, but my door will not open like the others. So I'll have to break us out myself."

Mark's blue eyes widened in shock.

I ignored the look on his face and reached down. Cupping the metal chain in my hand, I clenched my fist. There was a brief whining noise as it gave in and crumbled to the floor.

"Holy sh-"

He was cut off as I rammed into the door, then again. The metal groaned in protest as I kicked it, swinging my leg up and around. Hard.

Finally, it flew off its hinges and fell to the floor.

Outside was nothing but pandemonium. To the left, prisoners ran toward a door that must have led to fresh air. And on the right… Fire blazed, white hot against metal. This wasn't a normal fire. It was so hot that it melted the metal on the walls and crawled along it like it was its fuel.

Which wasn't good since everything around us was metal and concrete.

I whipped around to Mark, grabbed his arm tightly, and ran. At first I followed the other prisoners, but then thought better of it. They were running to the yard, and I'm sure like any other prison yard, it was fenced off from anything else. So, at the last second, I turned down the hall.

"What are you doing?" Mark screamed from behind me.

There were two doors', I chose the one on the right. I twisted the knob with my free hand and the lock broke. Inside was a small hall that led to yet another, smaller door. Letting go of Mark, I ran to break it down.

It gave easily, because it wasn't locked. 

Crisp air hit me like a brick, and the sun glared down at me from the clear sky. There were yellow, orange, and red trees everywhere. The ground was dry and covered in patches of yellow grass. Somewhere to the side, were several bulking trucks. A breeze pushed my hair back from my face.

I froze.

**Note: Hey, I was hoping for some reviews by now but I'll keep going!**


	8. Chapter 8

**-Chapter Seven-**

-Mark's POV-

Amelia stopped so suddenly I almost tripped over her.

"Amelia!" I yelped. "What's wrong?"

Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She just stood there, taking in the trees, the sky, and even the patchy ground. That's when I understood. It must be a lot to take in at once if you've never been outside before.

Amelia did her part by getting us outside, but we weren't home free yet. I looked around quickly, and got an idea. There were a bunch of trucks to the left; I could pick the lock and hot wire one of them. Almost smiling to myself, I grabbed Amelia's forearm and dragged her to the closest one. She stumbled along after me, and when I tried the door, it was already unlocked.

Wrapping my arm around Amelia's slim waist, I boosted her up into the passenger side seat. When she didn't protest I buckled her seat belt too. Then ran back over to the driver's side and jumped in.

It took longer than I thought to hot wire the huge truck. But when I had finally heard the engine start I was ready to go. I looked back over at Amelia and smiled, she was half twisted in her seat to stare out the window, her eyes wide.

I didn't know where to go, so I tore off down the middle of the dirt road. It had to lead somewhere. So once I figure out where we are I'll get us back to my house. Maybe my mom will know what to do about Amelia.

We drove the truck until the wheels hit pavement instead of dirt and pulled over. The sky was dark now and I was exhausted. Amelia didn't seem the least bit tired as she gazed out at the night sky.

"Hey," I said softly. She turned her dark eyes on me. "We need to get some rest so…"

Her head tilted to the side, "Why?"

"Um, aren't you tired?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I am." Just then her eyelids dipped low then snapped back open, flickering. "This truck has a built in tracking device."

"What? How do you know that?"

She didn't answer; she only reached forward and started popping the buttons off of the radio. Then she started looking through the dashboard, looking more intense than I had ever seen her. Before she was finished she turned to me, looking at me like I had grown a second head.

"Are you insane? Or did you not hear me? Drive, Mark!"

Oh.

My foot pushed on the gas so suddenly that the tires squealed and dirt flew.

-Amelia's POV-

A few hours later, I began to relax. I had successfully removed the tracking device but we would need to switch vehicles soon. When someone figures out the truck is missing there'll be police looking for it. Not to mention what'll happen when they realize two 'fugitives' have escaped. Maybe they'd leave Mark be, his time was almost up anyway.

But for me…

I shook my head sharply, clearing my thoughts. No way could I think of that now. The only thing that mattered right now was getting Mark to his house. Then I could sneak away before I dragged anyone else into my web of danger. Mark was already involved enough.

Looking over at him, my heart twisted. He had one arm hanging out of the window and the other resting on the wheel. Mark's long hair flopped in front of his eyes when he turned to look at me. Peircing me with blue.

My hand rose to my chest, _what is this feeling?_

He smiled that infectious smile, "What?"

"My chest hurts… is that normal?"

"Um." Concern creased his brow, "Not really, you're not having a heart attack or anything are you?"

I felt my lips twitch upward in a humorous attempt. "Not likely."

"Right. Almost forgot."

"It's more possible for me to have a stroke." It was true, my DNA could have mixed wrong or something could malfunction inside my brain.

Mark ran a red light, leaving cars honking behind us. "_What?"_

We seem to say that a lot.

I shrugged in response.

"This isn't a _joke_ Amelia. You can't just…just…_shrug it off!"_ Mark's deep blue's were watching me again, anger churning within them.

I whipped around to face him, "Who said I was joking? I'm completely serious."

Then I saw it, deeper than the anger in his eyes, was panic.

"Mark…"

"Forget it."

We drove in silence, but I could still see Mark's tense solute next to me.

-Amelia's POV/_Hours later_-

The sky was pitch black against the moon. Stars were scattered across the sky like silver glitter. Moonlight lit up the ground in front of us, so we didn't need the headlights. We were back to driving on a deserted dirt road and Mark seemed to know where he was going. So I let him do 'His Thing', as he called it a few minutes back. I had felt the need to roll my eyes, but didn't.

"It reminds me of the first time I saw you," Mark said suddenly.

I looked to him in confusion, lifting my eyebrow in a 'care to elaborate?' expression.

"The moon, the way it glows, reminds me of your eyes. Even though your eyes are so dark. What did I call it then? Ah yes, luminous." He smiled to himself. "And your hair is like the midnight sky against them. It's different."

I glanced at the night sky again. "I look like that?"

"Yeah, you do."

-Mark's POV-

Amelia's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. That's when I silently vowed that I'd be there when she first saw herself in a mirror. I would need to talk to my mother first of course, and then I'd show her.

We were almost to my home; it was in a little rural town in the middle of nowhere. Just a few more hours away and we'd be there. I wonder what Amelia will think. There was no way to know since she'd never really been anywhere else before. She didn't have a home to go to herself…

Sadness washed over me briefly before I brushed it away.

"Where are we?" Asked Amelia curiously.

"I'm going to get more gas, it's almost on empty." I reached into my pocket and pulled out some change. It was from the floor of the truck that we had ditched not long ago. Now we were driving a small red convertible, blending perfectly with the other cars. "Then we'll go get something to eat."

She nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt.

After filling the gas tank with five dollars worth of gas, I knocked on the passenger side window. Amelia looked up and climbed out of the car. I was standing a lot closer than I thought I'd be when she stepped out, but I didn't move. Her bare arm brushed mine, but she didn't move away either. So we stayed like that.

Inside, the convenience store was small and stuffy. Three isles were squeezed tightly together a few feet in front of the counter. Behind the counter was a redheaded cashier in a too-small shirt. He looked uncomfortable in the hot store, probably has some type of claustrophobia.

I led Amelia to the chips in the back. "Here, pick one my friend. It should last us until we get to my house."

Amelia glanced at the rack, "Cheetos? Doritos? _Cheese Balls?_" I laughed at her bewildered expression. "Oh I don't know! I've never had any of these, you pick."

"Okay, okay," I chuckled as I grabbed some Cheetos.

Just then the bell on the door rang, and I heard people laughing. Four guys came stumbling into the store. I could smell the reek of alcohol from across the isles. It'd be fine as long as we kept our distance. My lip curled at the stench. We headed back around to the counter and I tossed the bag to the cashier. Behind me, I heard more laughter, and Amelia tensed.

I looked over my shoulder at the group of men. One of them was elbowing the other and pointing at Amelia. Then they were all looking at her, like she was in a display case. They just stood there, staring at her hips and pink lips. It began to bother me.

A lot.

As the cashier was totaling my change, I pushed her in front of me. Blocking her from the men's burning gazes. Amelia didn't protest, she simply peeked at me from under her long lashes. After collecting my sixty-three cents, I pulled her out the door and to the car.

I opened the Cheeto bag and handed it to Amelia. "Eat up."

**NOTE: Thank you soooooo much for the reviews! I've only got two so far from Stormee-Stories and Michellesdaughter and I'm very grateful right now! I wasn't sure if I was doing any good or if anyone was even reading Not So Perfect. So I was thrilled when I read the reviews. **

**To Stormee-Stories: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Not So Perfect! I wanted to let you know that I didn't base this story off of any basic novels. But some things may seem similar to a couple of books I've noticed. This story and Shocked just came from ideas I got from reading a zillion other books. And I'll check out some of your stories as well.**

**To Michellesdaughter: Hey! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I'm sorry the chapters aren't as long as you'd like them to be, I'm the same way. I use Microsoft and it always looks so much longer on there than on here. But I tried to make this chapter slightly longer. **

**Thank you guys! I hope you continue reading and I'm glad you like it! **


	9. Chapter 9

**-Chapter Eight-**

-Amelia's POV-

I glared at my cheese-coated fingertips, not knowing what to do with them. Mark laughed as he turned the wheel. The car smoothly went left, and then slowed to a short stop at the red sign.

"Just lick it off," He said with a smile. "We're almost to my house, only a few minutes away."

Awkwardly, I cleaned them off and wiped my hands on the seat. Outside, there were many colorful trees and very little houses. Some of the houses looked more like barns with huge picket fences that contained farm animals. The rest had mostly upturned ground from tilling and planting crops.

When we went further into the town I saw markets, gas stations, and regular stores. One of the stores signs was half hanging from the roof, but no one seemed bothered by it. People swarmed around like bees, often stopping to talk to another.

"In a small town, everyone knows who you are." Mark pointed to a group of women exiting one of the markets, "Over there is a few of my mother's close friends. She isn't with them today I guess. Probably working."

Mark's mom was a nurse, I remembered him telling me. He pulled the car into a neighborhood full of small houses. All of them were painted white with crisp green yards that screamed FERTALIZED DAILY. The shingled roofs were each a perfect little triangle.

He slowed, pulling into an empty driveway on the left. "I'll have to ditch the car somewhere a couple miles away, so they don't track us. But first, we go in, talk to my mom, and then I grab some money to pay for what we took and leave it in the car with the keys."

Sounded simple enough.

Mark got out of the car and half-ran to the door. And me, I took my sweet ol' time getting out of the car. The house looked like all the others, except for a huge tree in the middle of the front yard. Its orange leaves swayed with the breeze as it shaded the house. I stopped to admire it.

Meanwhile, Mark had found the spare key and was unlocking the door. There was a brief _click_ as the lock slide open. He smiled and went inside, calling, "Amelia!"

"I'm coming!" I called back, glancing at the tree once more before I followed him.

The inside was not what I had expected. It was neat and perfectly matched. In the corner sat a small Television on a glass stand. Straight across from it was a three-people couch and a matching coffee-table. I could easily picture Mark with his feet draped across the table and his mom yelling at him for it.

It was creamed colored and soft-looking, with two throw pillows set against the arms. On either side of the couch sat two thriving plants, giving everything a cozy look. I hesitated, and then stepped onto the lush carpeting with a sigh.

"Mom?" Mark called.

No answer.

"She must still be at work," He realized. "Come on, let's raid the fridge."

The kitchen was just as nice, mostly a clean white with granite counters. I sniffed.

"What's that smell?" I asked suspiciously.

Mark laughed, his white teeth flashing, "Lemons, from the air freshener." He pointed to something plugged into the wall.

_Oh._

"How about…" He mumbled without taking his eyes from the fridge. "Yes! Jackpot! Leftover chili!"

A few minutes later he had a pot sitting on the stove- lid on -as he looked through the drawers. Humming to himself, he pulled out a huge…ladle? Then he started stirring with it.

"What is it?" I asked anxiously as I looked over his shoulder at the lumpy soup.

Mark gave me a weird look and I shrugged.

Then his smile broke through, again. "It's chili. Awesome chili, try it." He scooped up a bit and held it out to me, his hand hovering a few inches under it. Hesitating once again, I grabbed the ladle. "Wait! I forgot to blow it off!"

Too late.

It burned painfully as it sat in my mouth, but I didn't flinch OR swallow. Just stood there, still holding the ladle. Mark ran over the fridge, pulled something out, and ran back over to me. I looked to see what he was holding.

A water bottle.

"Spit it out Amelia! Or- or swallow it!" He exclaimed with his blue eyes wide and arms flailing.

_Gulp._

"Now drink this. Your mouth is probably burnt."

I nodded and drank.

"Sorry, the chili isn't that bad. Really. It just has to cool down a bit first."

Nod.

"It's okay Mark."

His shoulders relaxed, but only slightly, and he turned back to the chili. "Amelia," Mark caught my attention as he pointed to a cabinet by the fridge, "Grab two bowls for me."

I walked over to the cabinet and grabbed two brown bowls. When I handed them to Mark, our fingers brushed, and he smiled. My chest tightened behind my ribcage painfully. So I turned away and sat at the bar.

"See? I told you," Mark teased, like I had doubted him.

I scooped up another bite of chili, "Awesome chili. As you'd told me."

He smiled and pumped a fist in the air, "Victory is mine!"

The chili nearly shot straight out of my nose. "You're insane!"

Mark's smiled broke into loud laughter, _my_ lips even twitched upward. Not once had I ever smiled, not since the last test I had passed. Before the Creators found 'The Glitch' that was my humanity. I used to smile even though no one watched.

Then I didn't. And still haven't.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll get it back.

It takes four muscles to smile, I learned.

For a frown, twenty muscles.

Yet, why is it easier to frown?

"What's wrong?" Mark was waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked. _One muscle._

_Stop that,_ I scolded myself.

Looking away from Mark I responded, "Nothing."

"If 'nothing' makes you look like that, then I don't want to see your face when something _is_ bothering you." He meant it to sound sarcastic but it came out sadly.

Our gazes met, one blink, two…

Mark's eyes closed halfway, lazily as he stared at me.

I jumped up, grabbed both of the bowls, and put them in the sink with a loud _CLACK _that made my teeth rattle. Neither of us moved, with my back to him and him facing me from the bar stool. I was just about to turn around when I heard something. A hushed clatter from upstairs, I looked up as if I could see through the ceiling.

"What?" Mark said, loudly.

"SHH!"

He grumbled a 'whatever' before shutting up.

Listening again, I turned on my better side of hearing.

Footsteps.

Whoever it was, they were slipping down the stairway as quietly as they could. Mark couldn't hear but I could. I was just about to tell him when a figure flew around the corner, swinging a metal bat.

Female.

"Don't move-" She started.

But I was faster. I flew in front of her, clasping the bat with one hand before she hurt one of us. It all happened in a second, before Mark had even had time to turn around. Quickly, I analyzed the woman.

Short dirty blond hair stopped just above her shoulder's and framed her eyes. _Blue eyes. _ I let go of the bat.

Mistake.

She swung low, pain spread up my leg like burning needles. Faintly, I heard a crack. There was nothing I could think of to do without scaring her further. So I dropped and rolled a bit away before popping back up. Mark yelled out and she dropped the bat.

"KATE! STOP!"

She froze, "_Mark?_"

Mark lips pressed into a thin line, he glanced at me, then my leg. "In the flesh…"

Kate, who was almost the same height as me, glanced my way. "Who is _this?_"

My appearance must have been startling. With hair like black ink, skin as pale as milk, and my unnatural eye color, I'd startle a lot of people. So I couldn't blame her. I let Kate take me in for a full minute before she composed herself and turned to Mark.

Only then did Mark answer her, "Kate, this is Amelia. She's a friend of mine. And Amelia-" He turned to me, "-as you must have guessed, this is my sister, Kate."

Kate's stare flickered to me every few seconds, as if I was about to jump her. "How- I mean- Why are you out of prison?"

"Ah, there was a fire." Kate's eyes widened. "Don't worry, as you can see," He gestured to himself, "I'm in one piece. All thanks to Amelia." Mark beamed at me so brightly that I had to look away.

"Amelia was my cellmate. And no, I don't think they'll come looking for me, because I was supposed to be released the next day anyway."

Kate nodded, showing that she understood, and then she glanced at me.

"Um, I don't think they'll come after her either…" He didn't give her a reason. "So, now it's your turn, why are you creeping around the house swinging a metal baseball bat like a pro?"

She relaxed, "Mom had to work an extra shift so I'm watching Melisa. She's upstairs, with the door locked. I'll go get her." Kate looked at me again before turning up the stairs.

Mark walked briskly over to me, "Sit."

I did.

"I know you could have dodged that swing," He sighed. "Thank you for stopping... God, what am I going to do with you?" Mark's eyes traveled to my thigh, the one that had just been slugged with a bat.

Suddenly, footsteps pounded down the stairs. A short girl with the same colored hair as Kate flew around the corner. "Mark!" She squealed, her long hair trailing behind her.

He smiled and pulled her up into a big hug, her feet lifting off the floor. "Melisa. Did you miss your big brother? You haven't been causing Mom or Kate any trouble right?"

Melisa smiled a mischievous smile, "No! Not anymore than you have at least. Does putting a worm on Kate's pillow count? I don't think it does."

Kate, who had just got down the stairs, glared at her little sister. "Bull."

Mark shook his head, smiling. "I missed you girls."

Then they were all hugging, even grumpy Kate. I felt extremely uncomfortable intruding on this family moment. So I nearly jumped out of my unblemished skin when Melisa spoke.

"Ooohhh, who is that? Your girlfriend? She's pretty! What's her name?"

Mark blinked, "No, Amelia's not my girlfriend. She's my friend from…prison." He hesitated when he realized how weird that sounded.

"Mom will be home soon," Kate said when she looked at the clock above the kitchen table. "Better get your story straight."

As if on cue, I heard the lock from the front door _un_lock and a woman that could have only been Mark's Mother walked through the door.

**NOTE: Okay, I don't know exactly how many muscles it takes to blink, smile, or frown. So I picked the most common answer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I enjoyed typing it myself. I'm trying to make Kate a grumpy (but caring) older sister and Melisa a mischievous (but sweet) younger one. Hope it comes across correctly. I'm still not sure what Mark's Mother's personality will be. Probably someone caring and outgoing. So it's like Mark's got his personality from his mother. I'm also thinking about them going to school briefly before anything huge happens. Any good so far? Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it took so long guys! But it's up now, so enjoy!**

**-Chapter Nine-**

Mark's mother had the same signature hair color as her kids, only it was tied into a loose pony tail at the base of her neck. Her friendly brown eyes landed on Mark and she froze. "Mark?"

"Hey mom," He said, already walking toward her.

Ms. Tally hugged him tightly, like she would never let go, "How did you get back?"

"It's, uh, kind of a long story…"

I stood there awkwardly, waiting for her to see me. The carpet suddenly lost all of its softness under my bare feet. And for the first time ever, I was self-conscious about what I looked like to her. To _anyone_. What did my ragged clothes and dirt caked skin say about me? Probably the same thing that led Kate to slung me with a metal bat. _Dirty._

Melisa flew forward into her mother's arms, "Mark brought home a friend!"

"Who-" Ms. Tally's warm gaze turned hard when she saw me standing there. I stepped back before realizing it. With her eyes still on me she asked Mark, "Who is she?"

"A friend. Can we talk alone?"

"Sure," She broke her stare, turning to Kate, "Go ahead and get the poor girl some clean clothes and a warm shower."

Kate nodded and dragged me up the steps, Melisa following close behind.

-Mark's POV-

I told my mom everything. There was no other way. She deserved to know what Amelia was _and _what she had to go through.

"She was locked up for _how_ many years?"

"Long. And I don't regret bringing her here with me, even if you think it was stupid. Amelia saved us both by getting us out of that cell and now it's my turn. So…can she stay?"

Mom rubbed her eyes and sighed, "I'll think about it."

I reached over, and for the second time that day, hugged her with all my might.

-Amelia's Pov-

Warm water engulfed me from above, washing away dirt, grim, and all kinds of filth. Then, remembering what Kate had told me, reached for a bottle labeled 'Body Soap'. I popped open the lid after a few tries and took a whiff. It smelt wonderful, something I hadn't ever smelled before.

The shampoo smelled almost as good. Chamomile.

After I'd gotten out and dried off I saw something flash in the corner of my eye.

I turned.

Someone stared back at me, dark and pale all at once. But not _too_ pale. The girl's skin was still rosy from the steamy shower. Wet, black hair fell past her strong shoulders and ended at the bottom of her ribcage. Her lips were full and slightly pink. Above them, was a small delicate nose.

Then her eyes.

_My_ eyes.

They were big, round, and… not what I was expecting. What had I been expecting?

Surely not this odd color, it was dark…yet bright.

Even I- who's been locked up since…forever- knew that these weren't normal eyes.

Something in my chest heaved, tearing at a fresh wound.

_Why can't I just be…human?_

-Mark's POV-

I jogged up the stairs and stuck my head in Kate's room. Mom told me that she'd been watching Melisa while she worked. Since I was busy being locked up, I couldn't watch her myself. Kate was sitting on her bed watching TBS.

"Hey, where's Amelia?"

"Hi to you too little brother," She rolled her eyes when I didn't fight back. "She's with Melisa."

"Thanks!"

When I found them they were both sitting on Melisa's pink bed. The walls were still lined with hot pink and white designs. It hasn't changed since she was two; I smiled at the familiar site.

Amelia sat there awkwardly, her dark hair hanging across her face in wet tendrils. She pressed her lips together and I saw something flash in her eyes. Next thing I knew, it was gone, and she was rubbing them.

I frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just tired."

"That's reasonable. Come on, you can stay in my room tonight. I can sleep on the couch." I ruffled Melisa's hair, "Good night."

"Nighty-night!"

We walked into my room, and I mentally cringed. It hadn't been cleaned in a while. Meaning, I hadn't ever _really _cleaned it before. The bed was unmade. Clothes were scattered around the floor in heaps, I prayed silently that they were at least semi-clean. My brown sheets were scrunched and halfway on the floor.

_My God_, I thought to myself, _did a tornado buzz through here?_ Sad thing was it had always been like this. I was only noticing it _now_.

Amelia leaned a bit on the bed before sitting down. It made a small indention under her as she crossed her legs. She looked around the room, her expression unreadable. "The bed…is _huge_."

I opened my mouth to say it was only a full-sized bed but quickly snapped my mouth shut. It must have seemed bigger to her, considering she'd used a smaller-than-twin all her life. Bringing my focus back to Amelia, I watched her finger the fluffy pillow.

I laughed, "Don't worry. It's not going to bite."

She glared at me as she relaxed, finally lying down. "I _know_."

Amelia drew the covers up over her and practically sunk into the pillow. She closed her eyes halfway, but for some reason I could still feel her dark gaze. I walked around the room lazily, not wanting to leave her alone in the room. "My mom and I…we'll check up on you. Okay?"

Her head nodded a bit. _Okay._

-Amelia's POV-

I wanted to tell him to stay as he kicked his clothes into a pile. The bed felt like what I would have guessed heaven felt like. Closest I'd ever get to it anyway. But I still felt uncertain in his house. Kate clearly didn't like me, though Melisa liked me enough. I wasn't sure about his mom. But I suspected she didn't hate me yet since I was still lying under the warm sheets of Mark's bed.

"Well, I guess that's all." Mark continued, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

When I still stayed silent he headed for the door.

"Mark!"

He turned, "Yeah?"

"Thank you…"

A smiled played at the edges of his lips. "Don't mention it. Have sweet dreams."

I didn't.

I was back in the cell, my ankle chained firmly to the wall. My gut dropped immediately. When I reached down to the chain, my hand moved agonizingly slow. Panic shot through my veins. _I need to get out of here. _S_omeone_'s_ coming._ Even my head was in a fog.

Then of course, the door slowly opened with an unfamiliar creek. A man in a crisp white lab coat stepped through it. I recognized him with dread. He was the man who always came up with the experiments, the man who made the torture chamber, and the one who watched. His light brown hair swept back with gel and his eyes were dark, always so dark. I cringed away when I saw the needle full of thick blue liquid.

_No, no, no, no._

Suddenly the man and cell disappeared. And I stood in the middle of a field, it was almost peaceful. I relished in the feel of grass tickling my feet. It was gone.

Replaced by a burning house, black smoke curled up into the sky and crackling filled the air. Not long after, the crackling grew faint, and the screaming began. They all sounded familiar. I looked more closely at the house, and for the first time saw the big tree up front.

Mark's house. His family.

_Mark._

My shrieks joined theirs as I tried to throw myself forward. Nothing came closer, I looked down at my feet. On each ankle was a thick chain that refused to budge even the slightest bit.

All the screams stopped but one.

-Mark's POV-

I woke with a jolt and looked around. Trying to catch my bearings, it was 2:34am. Then I heard what had waked me, a shrill scream full of terror.

_It must be Melisa_, I thought, _sometimes she has nightmares._

It only took me a second to dash up the stairs, but I stopped myself short before going into Melisa's room. The cries were coming from my room. Kate's door burst open, followed by my mothers and Melisa's. They all looked at me and then my door. I ran forward, desperate to stop whatever it was that was hurting Amelia.

My door opened easily, we all crammed inside, with me at the front.

Amelia was thrashing, crying, and screaming all at once. I don't know why, but my heart broke in that instant, just before I ran to her. A flailing foot hit me in the gut, all the air left my lungs with a _whoosh. _My hands gripped her arms, "Amelia! What is it? Wake up! Please!"

Her deadly kicks continued and I thought briefly of the metal cell door. Still clutching Amelia's arms I turned to my mother, "Stay back. She kicks harder than a fully-grown horse on steroids." A flailing fist flew past my head, barely missing my right eye. I shook her a little. Nothing.

Why isn't she waking up?

I could hardly hold her she was so strong. "Amelia!"

Tears streamed down her face in thick streams. "Oh, Amelia…"

Out of nowhere, cold water completely doused Amelia. Some of it splashed onto me and I yelled out in surprise.

"Well _someone_ had to do it," huffed Kate, a little annoyance crept into her voice.

"Kate!" Mom exclaimed, "Was that really necessary?"

Before the blooming argument could continue, I glared at Kate, "Get out."

"But-"

"_Now."_ It was the kind of tone my mother grounded me for and I didn't care. Amelia's screams and thrashing had stopped but tears still ran freely down her face, mixed with the freezing water.

Her eyes opened and darted around the room. They landed on me as a shaky breath hissed between her teeth. Amelia's voice was like sandpaper, "Mark?"

"Yeah," I mumbled and reached forward to wipe the water from her face. "T-That was some nightmare, huh?" That wasn't just any normal nightmare, and I knew it.

She sniffed and nodded, glancing at the doorway. I turned to look too. My mother stood there, awkwardly clutching a towel. "You look like you could use a towel… I'm sorry about that, by the way. Kate shouldn't have done this."

When Amelia didn't move I took the towel, thanked her, and closed the door when she left. I tossed it to Amelia so she could dry her face and neck. She still hadn't moved when she was done so I sat on the other side of the bed and faced her. "Mind telling me what that was about?"

She shook her head defiantly, "_That_ was nothing. Don't worry about it."

"'_Don't worry about it'? _ How can I _not_ worry? You were screaming bloody murder! Not one person I have _ever_ known has screamed like that! You sounded absolutely _terrified_!"

Amelia closed her eyes, "I'm sorry." She seemed so completely vulnerable that the fight flew out of me.

"Don't be. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. It's just—just that you scared me and I'm still concerned."

It was quiet for a few minutes and her breathing slowed, finally calming down. The light above the bed dimly lit the room; my back was to it, blocking Amelia. All of her features were casted in shadow as she stared at me. I could have sworn I saw her eyes churning when she spoke and looked away suddenly.

"I'm scared too."

"Why," I asked.

"They might come for me. No, they _will_ come for me. But I'm still no use to them. So they'll either put me in another cell or-"

"I won't let them!" She looked back at him sharply, eyes widening in slight shock. Then she sobered.

"You won't have a choice Mark, and even if you did, _I_ wouldn't let _you_."

My gut dropped again. "And the reason?"

-Amelia's POV-

"Because I don't want you involved with these people Mark. They're dangerous, and cruel, more than you will ever be able to understand. I don't _want_ you to have to understand it." Just the thought of it made her tremble.

Mark was frustrated and I couldn't blame him. He's helped me so much but I refused open up to him anymore than I already have. The risk was too much, but I wavered when hurt flashed in his eyes.

"They aren't your normal police station or- or…_prison_. They are a group of scientist, and even if that doesn't sound menacing, you should be wary. They have c_onnections_ with a lot of people, a lot of places. They're not your ordinary scientist! You need to listen to me!"

He drew his eyebrows together in that familiar way, "But-"

"_No buts!_"

-Mark's POV-

She was so _stubborn_! My nostrils flared as I tried to calm down. Amelia stared at me, completely composed, making me even angrier. "_Fine._" I said, "I'll be downstairs."

Amelia didn't say anything, or move for that matter. She simply stared after me as I stormed out of the room and shut the door.

I didn't even get to ask her what else they might do to her if she was caught.

**Okay, this chapter might have been a bit depressing to write but in a way, necessary. Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**-Chapter Ten-**

-Amelia's POV-

I didn't sleep again, and around three hours and thirty-two minutes later, I walked down the steps to the living room where Mark was sleeping on the couch. His golden hair was spread around his head on the pillow and his lashes shadowed his cheeks. When I came closer, I could hear his soft familiar snoring.

Carefully, I sat right in front of the hibernating Mark and leaned against the couch. Mark's even breaths tussled the fine hairs against my neck. It was warm, comfortable even, more so than the bed that smelled faintly of him. Maybe I had gotten used to him sleeping in the same room as me, even if he snored and mumbled in the middle of the night.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I woke to find Kate staring at me intensely. She was wearing sweatpants, like me, and had her light hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. A light jacket was tied around her waist and she was slipping on fancy tennis shoes.

Then I realized why she was starring, Mark, still in deep sleep, had his arm draped over my shoulder and his face was buried in my hair. _He must have moved in his sleep_, I thought as I untangled myself. Mark grumbled unintelligible words and rolled over to face the couch.

Kate, a little too loudly, said, "Comfortable? Well, I'm going for a jog to burn off stress. I do this often so they'll know where I am-"

"Why?" I asked, curious.

She narrowed her eyes, "Why what?"

"How does it burn stress?"

Blinking, she replied, "I don't know, it just does."

"Oh, okay." I stretched my legs out in front of me and stared at the clothes she lent me, "Thank you. For the clothes, I mean."

She was halfway out the door when I said this, and she froze, taking a deep breath before turning back to me. "Since you're my brothers' friend…I should try and not be so…snotty. Why don't you- How about you come for a jog with me?" It seemed to pain her to say this for some reason, so I accepted her offer, and ten minutes later, I had tennis shoes on. They were a worn-out white and just a little too small on my feet, but it was perfectly fine.

Kate took off at the end of the block, picking up speed to a light jog. I stayed a little behind her, letting her take up the lead on the cement sidewalk. She looked back every so often with a confused look on her face, probably because my footsteps were silent.

Then, several long blocks later, Kate slowed to a walk. Some of her hair had escaped her pony tail and currently stuck to the back of her neck. Sweat trickled down her brow and soaked into her shirt as she panted. She looked at me, and between breaths said, "Y- You're not even breaking a sweat!"

It was true, but unsurprising.

Unlike Kate's, my shirt had stayed dry and my breath was slow and even. I kind of felt guilty, I had genetic…advantages. But Kate didn't know this yet so I shrugged a little awkwardly, "There is a lot you don't know about me."

"I, uh, guess you're right." Kate sighed and looked away, rubbing the sweat from her neck. Out of nowhere, she went tense and cursed, looking down the street. Four guys were watching us from only two blocks away, and getting closer. "We should go." She turned me around and pushed me back in the direction of the house. "Now!"

Kate took off running, faster than before and I followed.

Confused, I asked, "What's wrong? Why are you scared of those men?" I checked behind me. They were closer but I knew Kate was going as fast as she could. We wouldn't make it.

"Don't look back," she snapped. "They're a gang. It may not look it, but our neighborhood is the home of many, many gangs. And they are one of them so _run_!"

I have to admit. We almost made it, just making it halfway home when they appeared. Two more thugs came around the corner and trapped us against an out-of-place abandoned brick building. It stood two stories tall, all red brick and boarded windows with several _NO Trespassing_ signs in the yard. Crap. Not exactly the best place to be. Quickly, I analyzed the five guys.

The smallest of the five, looked to be about 16, even younger than me. And the biggest seemed to be around the age of 20. But aside from there still-young ages, they were huge. Kate was trying to get in front of me, to protect me somehow? I could feel her pulse tripping through her back. My heart raced too, not with fear, but with excitement.

I couldn't wait to pound them into the ground. The young ones' eyebrows drew together in confusion when a smile twitched at the corner of my lips. _I'm sick_, I thought to myself, _I should be terrified, not egger. _

Kate, still trying to press me into the wall, fumbled with her phone.

One guy snickered, "Don't bother calling to cops. We both know they're not gonna come." He was missing his two front teeth and his nose had obviously been broken countless times. Her only response was to shake her head lightly as she stared at phone. I tuned into what the person on the other end was saying when he spoke.

"Hello? Kate? Are you there?" It was Mark, sounding half-asleep.

Okay, so I knew Mark could probably take a couple of these guys. But I also knew he couldn't take five at once. That meant he'd get hurt, plus, it'd take him a couple minutes to find us. By then _Kate_ would be hurt. So that left me only one choice.

Slowly, I squeezed in front of Kate and pushed _her _behind _me_. She immediately protested and tried to gain back her position. The gang laughed at the scene. _So glad we entertain you._

"I see, then the dark haired goddess wants to go first," said the biggest man I had ever seen.

I could hear Mark on the other end, "Who was that?"

Loudly enough that he could hear, I told the guys, "What do you want with us? _Leave us be._ Otherwise, someone is going to need an ambulance, and it's not going to be my friend or me."

Kate gasped behind me. _Now or never_, I thought and closed my eyes for a brief second.

Thug three snorted, "Yeah, r-"

I pulled my right arm back, closing my hand into a tight fist. Thumb out, so I didn't break it.

_Crunch._ His nose broke and blood seeped out, coating his chin in red. He clutched his nose as he screamed like a little girl. Kate screamed as well.

"Why, whatever is wrong sir? Never been slugged by a girl before? Or ever _slugged_ period? That was quite a mighty wail you let out." My voice was as thin and cruel as ice. Once again, I should have been scared. Like Kate, who was crying loudly for someone who grew up in this neighborhood. No, instead, something else swelled in my chest.

Release.

-Mark's POV-

I couldn't breathe. The air circulation to my brain stopped. My lungs burned and my eyes snapped open to find the reason.

Melisa was leaning over me, a devious smile on her face, framed by her brown hair. She was pinching my nose to wake me up. So, knowing she wouldn't give up until I was awake-or dead- I flicked her forehead and got up. Melisa rubbed her forehead, glaring, "Hey!"

"Well you shouldn't wake me up so brutally."

She rolled her blue eyes, "Whatever. I wanted to ask you where Amelia is."

"What do you mean? She's still in my room isn't she?"

She shook her head, "Nope, I'm thinking she went for a jog with Kate."

Warning bell went off in my head. Oh, god. Kate was 'trying to get to know someone' as she would call it. Unless you've noticed, she isn't really a 'people person'.

I groaned and Melisa giggled. She knew this all too well. Then before I could even crawl off of the couch, my long-lost phone that I had pulled from my room rang. Once, twice, it was Kate, I answered.

"Hello?" No response, only a crackling sound. "Kate? Are you there?"

On the other end was a rustling, and…a guy laughing?

"I see, so the dark haired goddess wants to go first," said the voice.

_Dark haired goddess? _ Amelia flashed through my mind and I tensed_. What is going on?_

"Who was that," I asked.

Amelia's normally velvet voice came through briskly cold, causing me to shiver involuntarily. "What do you want with us? _Leave us be._ Otherwise, someone is going to need an ambulance, and it's not going to be my friend or me."

There was a gasp, someone talking, a crunching noise, and then a scream. And Amelia's voice rang even more piercing than my ringtone, "Why, whatever is wrong sir? Never been slugged by a girl before? Or ever _slugged_ period? That was quite a mighty wail you let out."

The phone cut off, then somehow I was standing up and running to the door. It must be a gang. It's happened before. I told Melisa to stay put inside the house and to tell mom, she dashed up the steps. After slipping on my shoes with agonizing slowness, I was out the door and stomping across the soft grass.

Once my feet hit the sidewalk I looked to the right, nothing. Then I looked to the left, nothing as well. Wait, no, far to the left where the abandoned brick building was still lingering, waiting to be torn down, was a huddle of people. Two girls, one with loose dark hair and one with a blond pony tail, were surrounded by five guys. One was staggering back and covering his face.

I ran.

-Amelia's POV-

"Don't get ahead of yourself girlie," he spat, blood still gushing from his nose. "That was just _one_ lucky shot. No way will you be able to land another one."

A freezing laugh escaped my throat, "Want to come test that theory?"

When they just glared at her she asked sweetly, "What's wrong? Scared of a girl? How badass…"

The one next to the youngest lunged first, his fist's flying. His dyed black hair hung in his face, making him slower than he could have been. I twisted around and let my heel connect with his jaw, with just enough force to leave a serious bruise. He stumbled to the left and into his buddy, who grunted. Not missing a beat, I leaped forward and buried my fist into his gut. The air from his lungs rushed out and hit my face, smelling of cigarettes. Trying not to smile, I finished him off with two more quick punches to the stomach. He could barely get out a groan before crashing to the ground unconscious.

"Why you little...," snarled the first guy with the bloody nose. His turn?

_Nope_, I thought when the other two jumped me at once. I caught a glance of Kate cowering against the wall and yelled, "Run!" She hesitated then took off down the street toward her house. _Thank god._

Pain burst behind my eyelids like fire. One of the guys had punched the side of my head with his meaty fist while I was distracted. I hated head wounds; they always bled more than necessary. As if on cue, blood trickled down the side of my face in a dark river. I wiped at it but it just smeared without helping in the least.

_I need to get this over with._

The guy who'd hit me jumped to the side, yelping as I stealthily appeared next to him. One chop to the neck and he was down. _Thump._ Oh relax! I only rendered him unconscious.

I turned to the other guy, who was closing in on me. He was smaller than the other man and a look of terror froze his features. I smiled at him bitterly and let him take the first move.

"Ung!" The man yelled out as he ran at me with a baseball bat. He slung low at my ankles, trying to knock me down, and missed when I jumped. _Strike One. _ Blinking in surprise, he paused before swinging again, this time at my head. I ducked easily away, _Strike Two. _ It swung back around quickly, hitting my thigh where the bruise from Kate's homerun shot had been. _Crack._

I had a fracture.

_Strike Three? Oh yeah. _

My bad leg looped up and kicked him in the groin. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the floor with tears streaming down his face. I almost felt sorry for him, but thought better of it when sharp pain shot through my leg.

Someone cleared their throat; it was the guy with the bloody nose. "It seems like you are quite skilled. You've manage to bring my best men to their knees."

I didn't feel the need to point out that they weren't on their knees, but unconscious. "You're next big boy," I said happily taking a limping step toward him and over his friend. I could still take him.

He frowned, and then took off running in the other direction, hopping a fence with the sixteen year old close on his heels. I was just about to follow them when I heard someone coming toward me with loud, familiar steps. I turned.

"Amelia!" Mark cried, getting closer. "Are you alright?"

When I looked down I realized how horrid I must look, all cover in blood. Not to mention I was standing in a circle of writhing, beaten men. Hurriedly, I walked over to Mark. My pulse was still sky rocketing with excitement and I felt a sliver of guilt. Normal people didn't feel happy after beating the pulp out of a gang. Whether they were doing 'evil' things or not.

He pulled me to him, hugging me in a way and making me feel an emotion I'd never felt before. The back of my eyes began to burn so I pushed him away, just a little. Mark looked me over, his eyes widening at the sight of my blood stained shirt. He followed the trail up to my hairline, where the blood was still flowing. "Oh, oh no."

"I'm _fine_," I insisted before he had a chance to ask. He glanced over my shoulder, seeming to just notice the half-corpses. "Sorry…maybe I went a little overboard?"

"No, no…," he murmured as he quickly turned me around. "Come on. We need to stop the bleeding and-…"

I followed his gaze to my leg where a little dot of blood sat almost innocently.

"Why are you limping?"

I shrugged, "It's just a fracture. I'm f-ah!"

He slipped his hand under my knees and lifted me up carefully, "If you say that you're 'fine' one more time, I'm going to make you sleep in Melisa's room on ice cream night."

My mouth shut and I leaned against Mark's shoulder, probably leaving a stain on his nice shirt. He smelled good. Like cinnamon and spice. He tensed, "Don't fall asleep on me Amelia. Keep your eyes open, we're home. See?"

The house came into my view from his broad shoulder. Then he was opening the front door somehow and someone screamed. It was Kate, taking in the sight of me. I rolled my eyes, but they couldn't see it when my face was pressed against Mark's shirt.

I heard Mark's mom snap, "Melisa, Kate, upstairs, now." There was a scrambling sound and then brightness as Mark set me down on a kitchen stool. He must have thought I couldn't hold myself up because he stayed glue to my side, with one hand on my shoulder as his mom examined me.

"If you could just stop the bleeding on my head somehow then I can do the rest myself…" Ms. Tally silenced me with a stern look and I gave up, leaning against Mark. His hand tightened on my shoulder.

Forty minutes later I was all patched up and had a fresh change of clothes. Thicker, darker sweatpants cover my legs, matched with a thin blue tank top. Ms. Tally washed the blood out of my hair at the sink, so my hair ended up damp with warm water.

_Now_ I was sitting on the coach, watching a blank Television screen. Kate came into the room a few minutes later and sat next to me. "So, I guess…I got to know you a little better."

I scoffed, "You were terrified."

She drew her eyebrows together, "Of course, they were going to hurt us."

"No," my voice was empty with realization. "You were terrified _of me_."

Kate was quite for several minutes.

Then, she answered me truthfully, and I was grateful.

"I was."

**Reviews?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! You still reading? Hope so. Otherwise I'm talking to myself, lol. I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to update all of my stories! I'm going to start a new one soon (actually I did start it but it's not out here yet) and it might be called 'Night Owl'. (And sorry if my stories get really unrealistic). Quick note: I added to accepting anonymous reviews. Sorry guys, I didn't know how to do it for a while but I fixed it! Please review!**

**-Chapter Eleven-**

-Amelia's POV-

I closed my eyes briefly before opening them again, "Are you still afraid of me?"

She startled at the question, looking confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, do I still frighten you, even now?"

Kate looked me in the eye and seemed to think about it. "No. For some reason I feel more relaxed. I feel like you won't hurt me…"

My lips twitched upward as I brushed my hair back to look her in the eye, "I'm glad, because I wouldn't ever hurt you. I need you to know that."

She nodded and it got real quiet. Looking at the TV I broke the silence, "So how do you work this thing anyway? I hear it's very entertaining."

Laughing, she reached for the remote and flipped it on. "Some shows are okay, it all depends on your interest." She was still flipping through the channels when Mark walked in and sat between us.

"Bonjour mesdames! Que fais-tu?" Mark said, looking from me to Kate with a smug gleam in his eye.

Somewhere in my mind, I translated, _Hello ladies! What are you up to?_

Kate's eyebrows linked together, but I answered him without hesitation. "Hey Mark. Kate et moi tentions simplement de trouver quelque chose à regarder à la télévision. Toute suggestion?"

They both paused to shoot me a surprised glance. I shrugged and nestled deeper into the fluffy white couch. Mark let it go; knowing it must have something to do with my "training", but Kate continued to stare at me in shock. "Damn Amelia! Where'd you learn that? Prison?"

Mark chewed on his bottom lip before interrupting, "It doesn't matter Kate-"

Then I interrupted him, "Nah, it's fine Mark. This is a relatively safe question." I stared at the TV screen, watching some guy on stage tell jokes while the audience laughed. "I don't know how I know it, I just do."

She rolled her eyes, "That makes absolutely _no sense_ what-so-ever."

That time, Mark and I said nothing.

Acknowledging that we wouldn't give her anymore intel, she turned back to the TV, clicked a few more buttons, and turned the volume up.

Mark leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Geez, it's been quite a while since I watched the news…"

Meanwhile, the woman on the screen stood in front of a map, broadcasting this week's weather. It was going to be completely warm and sunny all week, with a slight chance of rain tomorrow. The woman had short red hair and freckles across her nose that you could see even on TV. She spoke in a nice, firm voice and had a flakey smile plastered on her face.

I looked away from the screen to pull my knees up to my chin in an all-too-familiar position. Sitting this way seemed to calm me. I was so used to my small, dark cell that these warm rooms made me feel exposed. My leg throbbed painfully beneath my sweatpants as I took deeper breaths. When we'd gotten back earlier I managed to convince Mark that I had overreacted and that my leg was only bruised. I didn't want to lie to him, but there was no way I'd be able to stand my leg in a cast. It would remind me to much of the chain that had once enclosed my ankle. Absently, I rubbed my ankle.

A hand covered my shoulder, making me jump.

It was Mark. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," I said. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Really!"

Still unconvinced, he glanced at the bandages around my head. Instantly it was like someone pulled a plug to drain the suspicion from his features, which was quickly filled with concern. Mark gently touched the side of my head where the thug had hit me, like I was glass. "Does it hurt?"

My chest twisted as I reached up to grab his hand, just like he had that day in the cell. "No Mark."

He smiled, "Good. Now I'm not going to feel bad about what I'm about to say." I felt my left eyebrow rise up as if to say, _and what would that be?_

"The white bandages against your black hair make you look like a skunk!" Mark immediately burst into laughter at his own joke. Kate smacked his arm.

"Mark! How can you make such a joke when she's hurt," she said, and they begun to argue.

I, on the other hand, had begun to feel weird, a good kind of weird.

-Mark's POV-

Kate and I were so busy arguing that we forgot about Amelia right next to us. It was the first argument we'd had in a long while, and it felt good.

"She said that it doesn't hurt! If she was in pain you know that I would never make such a joke," I said, slightly offended.

Kate answered, "Well you never know. Maybe you hurt her _feelings_."

"Oh _please_. Amelia's not like that. You're the one who always takes things the wrong way!"

Kate ignored me; she was too busy gaping at something over my shoulder. I turned to find Amelia watching us, with a smile on her face. Not one of her crooked smiles but a bright toothy grin. Even her dark eyes laughed from behind the hair hiding her face. This is why Kate was so shocked. As for me, one glance at her shining face and I felt as though someone had kicked me in the gut. I couldn't look away.

She blinked, and her smile vanished. "What? Did I do something?"

"No, not at all…we were just surprised…,"Kate reassured her. "Mark?"

I jumped at the sound of my name, "Hmm? Oh, yeah."

She gave me a weird look, then burst into laughter.

"What?" I asked, offended all over again.

Kate wiped her face like she was crying, "God help my brother, he's got it bad!"

I flushed from head to toe, which only caused her to laugh harder. Amelia was utterly oblivious to what Kate was talking about, and I was glad. But that didn't stop my heart from skipping a beat when she looked at me for an answer.

"It's nothing," I muttered to her before leaving the living room.

-Amelia's POV/ _Around an hour later_-

Kate jolted awake, "How long have I been sleeping?"

I examined her ruffled hair and sleep glazed blue eyes, "About thirty minutes."

"Oh, is that all?" She said, sprawling across the couch to stretch. Her foot hit mine off the couch, jarring my leg. I hissed, surprising Kate. "What?"

"Nothing."

She sighed and turned back to the TV shaking her head, "I may not have known you long but I can already tell that you're not like most girls."

I watched her from the corner of my eye. _Was she on to me?_

"First of all," she continued with a smirk. "You're absolutely gorgeous, I noticed. But you don't act like it." When I opened my mouth to say something, _anything_, to stop her from going on, she held her hand up. "Second, you single handedly kicked five guys asses."

"Kate," my voice held a tone of warning.

She glared at me, "_And third_, we know nothing about you besides the first two reasons, except that you are Marks 'friend'. You won't give us any information. Just _who are you_ and just _where _are from?"

Just then Mark came back into the room, "Actually Kate, _I_ know about Amelia and so does mom. Even if we don't know it all," he added with a determined glance at me. "Amelia is our guest, and you will learn that she is a really good person."

I flinched, to me, it felt like a blade sliding across my skin. It was guilt.

"So if you have any questions, ask me or mom." His gaze softened into the Mark I knew, "Okay?"

Kate nodded.

Mark sat up suddenly, his gaze locked on the TV screen, "Kate, turn up the volume." The red-headed woman wore a serious expression on her face as she said, "Now we go to Bill, who is currently at the scene of the fire. Bill?"

The screen went black for a second before showing a plump man in a suit. He wore his dark hair in a comb-over and obviously had fake teeth. He spoke in a gruff voice, "I'm here at Okalan Prison where a fire broke out just three days ago. The cause of the fire is still unknown and only a few prisoners were hurt. There were no guards or workers here during the fire which leads to some questions and assumptions, but we have yet to find out what really happened. We were just informed that all of the prisoners are accounted for."

Mark fist pumped the air, "Freedom at last!" Then he turned to high-fived Kate, who looked bewildered. "Did you hear that Amelia?"

I didn't hear him.

_We were just informed that all of the prisoners are accounted for._

Are they really going to just give up?

No, it's not like them.

"It's not over."

Mark looked as if I had totally just "burst his bubble". "What do you mean?"

I sighed and pushed my black hair from my face, "Just as I said. There is no way that-," I gave him a meaningful look, "-_they_ will let _us_ go."

He blinked, "I guess you're right…"

Mark and Kate settled back against the couch with me, with Mark throwing his arms onto the back of the couch.

Fifteen minutes later, I was sound asleep.

-Mark's POV-

Kate shook me awake and put her finger to her mouth. _Shhhh_.

I looked down to find out why. Amelia, who was passed out, was sprawled halfway across my lap. Under my breath I whispered to Kate, "How in the world did _this_ happen?"

She smiled, "Well I don't know for sure all but you both fell asleep and _viola_. You become her Mr. Cuddly-Kins!"

Heat rushed up to my face, "Quiet! You'll wake her!"

"Whatever. But you should carry her up to bed. Goodnight!"

I glared at her until she rounded the corner and up the steps. Then scooped Amelia up, shifted her in my arms, and carried her to my room.

**Sorry if there are some mistakes! I was real tired and was honestly being too lazy to check it. *Sigh* I need a Mark to carry me to bed…hmm…lost my train of thought…lol**


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